American Pianists Association Announces Two New Fellows at Classical Fellowship Awards Gala

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2006--Mr. Spencer Myer was named the Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow and Mr. Stephen Beus was chosen as the Max I. Allen Classical Fellow at the Classical Fellowships Awards Gala Finals held at Hilbert Circle Theatre on Saturday, April 29, 2006 the American Pianists Association (APA) announced.

Support for each Fellow includes a cash award, publicity, career assistance and performances in national and international venues. Each APA Fellowship is valued at over $75,000.

Steve Beck, Sean Kennard and Mei-Ting Sun were the other Finalists featured during the 2006 Classical Fellowship Awards Discovery Week from April 23-29, 2006. Each finalist performed in a chamber music recital with the Pacifica String Quartet, a Lieder recital, commissioned works by Butler University composition students and solo programs during the Gala Finals.

The 2006 Classical Fellows were selected by a distinguished panel of judges composed of world-class pianists including: Giovanni Umberto Battel from Venice, Italy, Angela Cheng from Canada, Margo Garrett, Walid Moussalem from Lebanon and Hoosier native, Victor Rosenbaum.

Spencer Myer, 28, is a native of North Ridgeville, Ohio. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Peter Takacs. He is the recipient of numerous awards from Oberlin, including the Dean's Talent Award, the John Elvin Piano Prize, the Faustina Hurlbutt Piano Prize, the Louis & Annette Kaufman Award in Chamber Music, the Piano Department Accompanying Award and the Ernest Wilkins Academic Award. Mr. Myer completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Stony Brook University in May 2005.

Stephen Beus, 23, is a native of Othello, Washington and has been playing recitals and concerti since the age of 8. He was the 2003 National Collegiate Artist winner of the Music Teachers National Association competition and a competitor in the 2005 Van Cliburn International Competition. He served on a two-year mission to Finland as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and played concerts throughout the country. A former student of Leonard Richter at Whitman College, he currently studies with Robert McDonald at Juilliard.

The American Pianists Association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to discover, promote and advance the careers of world-class, classical and jazz pianists, who are citizens of the United States between the ages of 18 and 30.

Editor's Note: A photo of the winners is available upon request.